Cincinnati Beer Week is less than a month away. It’s scheduled to start on February 6 but real beer fans will be able to get into the spirit of the event even sooner. On January 27, a public meeting will be held at The Brew House to discuss the city of Cincinnati’s application for a grant from the Brownfield Fund for the Brewery X Redevelopment Project. The project’s goal is to turn a dilapidated historic building close to downtown Cincinnati, into a brewery with a tap room and an outdoor beer garden. The application is available for review at the Walnut Hills Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

Cincinnati Beer Week is less than a month away. It’s scheduled to start on Feb. 6, but real beer fans will be able to get into the spirit of the event even sooner. On Jan. 27, a public meeting will be held at The Brew House to discuss the city of Cincinnati’s application for a grant from the Brownfield Fund for the Brewery X Redevelopment Project. The project’s goal is to turn a dilapidated historic building close to downtown Cincinnati into a brewery with a tap room and an outdoor beer garden. The application is available for review at the Walnut Hills Branch of the Public Library of Cincinnati and Hamilton County.

The historic building is located at 1430 Martin Drive, in the 180-acre Eden Park, one of the most popular parks in Cincinnati. It was constructed between 1889 and 1894 and served as a pump station, moving water from the East Reservoir to downtown’s growing suburbs. It was renovated and in 1939 reopened as the new home for the city’s Central Fire Alarm System and the Cincinnati Police. The Pump Station continued to operate as the Central Dispatch for the Cincinnati Police and Fire Departments until 1988 and as a backup for 911 until late 2004. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places on March 3, 1980.

The city of Cincinnati has owned the building since it was constructed and will continue to own it during the the implementation of the Clean Ohio grant. Brewery X L.L.C. has signed a long-term lease for the property. The company will invest approximately $4 million in the project and plans to buy the building in the future.

Although dilapidated, the building is still structurally sound. The redevelopment calls for the complete gutting of the interior and replacement of the roof and windows, as well as the removal of asbestos and lead paint. The developers requested $736,520 from the Clean Ohio Assistance Fund to perform asbestos abatement and $490,380 from the Brownfield Revolving Loan Fund to perform the lead paint abatement. Work is expected to start as soon as the funding is approved.

Brewery X is expected to open in mid-2015. It will create at least 13 full-time jobs. The average hourly wage will be $12.94 within the first three years of operation.